Tag Archives: Angry Whopper

I came across news yesterday that Burger King is bringing its Angry Whopper to Japan.

I’m not much of a fast-food guy so I didn’t even know about this spicy offering from Burger King, launched in December in the U.S.

Get this. The burger comes with the usual toppings: onions, cheese, bacon, tomatoes and lettuce. But this burger’s got some kick to it with jalapeno chili peppers and hot sauce. Ouch!

Apparently, Burger King has changed the sauce of the Angry Whopper to best suit the Japanese palate.

Burger King has a long history of frustration in the Japanese market, but they’re giving it a go. McDonald’s, its primary competitor, owns 65 percent of the market. Burger King is actually quite a small player with only 16 stores nationwide.

In any case, discussion of Burger King’s chances in Japan will have to wait.

What I really want to talk about is the burger’s name: the Angry Whopper.

I love it!

Why?

Powered by Emotion
This burger has a personality, and a strong one at that. All of us know anger because we’ve all felt it. Anger is like an emotional tornado, and we can’t help but react to its intensity. It’s a raw emotion, one that’s difficult to control.

Burger King has tapped directly into one of our strongest emotions. That’s smart, because as Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, has said: “The emotions are a serious opportunity to get in touch with consumers.” And, as I said, we all know anger.

Distinctive
This isn’t a generic name for a burger in any way. No, this one’s distinctive. It stands out, and that’s a good thing when you’re trying to reach overloaded consumers. I’m sure the world has a ton of distinctive names for burgers, but I haven’t seen many stand outs from the major chains.

I also love how this name lends itself to conversation and word-of-mouth marketing. I can hear it now: “Have you had an Angry Whopper yet?” The name isn’t boring; it’s one you want to talk about.

Like I said, I’m not a fast-food guy, but the name intrigues me to the point that I almost feel the need to go and experience it for myself.

Of course, the experience is where it all counts in the end. A good name can’t save a bad product. A name can help get you in the door, but you’ll only be asked to stay if you deliver on the promise.

I’ve never tasted an Angry Whopper, but Marvin over at The Impulsive Buy blog has. In his review, he actually compares the burger to the penis of a 1980’s rocker. Hilarious read and good review.

Naming with the Positive in MindJust one last thought on the name selection. I can’t help but think that one, two or more Burger King team members absolutely despised the name when they first heard it. And I say that because anger certainly is thought of as a negative emotion, as unhealthy and destructive. The associations aren’t good: aggressive outbursts, hostile overreactions and physical reactions and abuse. Those aren’t the associations you want to tie to your brand, are they?

Well, anger is often misunderstood. Anger can be healthy. Anger can be positive. Anger, as I said, is emotional energy. Anger makes people take notice. Anger gets reactions.

So, to Burger King’s credit, they didn’t go a safer route. They saw the positives in the name, saw the potential to foster connections and took a risk.

I think seeing the positives in name candidates, especially when you’re seeing them for the first time, is solid advice. We’re almost pre-conditioned to first think about what we don’t like in a name. But what if we forced ourselves to look for the positives first? Well, we just might find opportunity and potential where we wouldn’t have imagined.

Bite Back
What do you think? Does the Angry Whopper as a name do it for you? Do you find it appetizing? Do you think Burger King made a good choice?